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Sound Off: Please, do the right thing

The following is what our readers sounded off about this week:

Please, do the right thing

I was just reading the sound off “Do the right thing” about someone not turning in a Starbucks card. I agree. I lost a tennis bracelet last year, either at Trader Joe’s or at Walmart. It fell off my wrist. No one ever turned it in. Someone had to know that it belonged to someone, and it was a very special bracelet. I agree. Please, do the right thing. You know when you find things, they belong to other people.

Get a receipt

I’m calling in response to the Sound Off ad that said they were waiting for a thank you from the Anderson Animal Shelter after dropping off a donation. First of all, as a volunteer at the shelter, I can tell you that when you do drop something off, if you stop at the front desk, they will give you a receipt for your donation. All donations are appreciated, as we have a tremendous amount of animals coming through our facility every year. But it also costs money to send thank yous and receipts in the mail, and money is very tight. So, for anyone who does drop off at Anderson, stop at the front desk and get a receipt for your donation.

Hard work and dedication

To the person waiting for a thank you. Most of the organizations for pet rescue are run by volunteers. Many of these volunteers have full-time jobs and are spending much of their off time taking care of foster animals, transporting, training, cleaning up and adopting out animals. The person donating items should volunteer to send thank you cards for the organization. It should be thanks enough to know that you are helping out these poor animals. Or better yet, send a thank you to the organizations or a volunteer you know for all their hard work and dedication.

What bad taste

I’m calling in response to the illustration in the Sept. 20 Chronicle that stated, “Navy yard slaughter notch up another for gun rights ...” What bad taste. I would like to know how this insane act could be of any advantage to gun rights.

Main Street tradition

Let’s move the homecoming parades in St. Charles back to Main Street, so that the students and parents can enjoy the windows that were painted, and we can get back to creating school spirit for the homecoming weekend. Does everything come down to money? So it’s a little more expensive. It’s a lot more tradition.

Boo!

St. Charles East girls volleyball defeats state champion Benet, and you guys give it five lines of coverage? Boo!

Have a nice day

So, my letter carrier for the United States Postal Service comes to my door and drops off a large envelope. As the letter carrier is walking up to the door, I greet him with a large hello. My letter carrier says nothing, hands me the package. I say thank you and have a nice day. My letter carrier says nothing, turns, walks back to his vehicle and leaves. You wonder why the United States Postal Service has such a bad rep.

Finally, there’s justice

Headline: “Geneva man’s killer gets life in prison.” Finally, but why did it take 15 long years? I hope the families can finally get some closure with this. I remember reading the horrible way those two men were killed. A parent should never have to bury a child. My thoughts are with those families. I am so happy this evil man will never step foot out of prison.

Understanding freedom

Let me start with the Second Amendment. The tragic gun murders of Americans in Washington, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Colo., and the 64 other senseless mass gun murders in recent times, and the daily murders in our cities is evidence that our social contract is failing. I believe this is a result of two fundamental misunderstandings that too many Americans hold. Our Founding Fathers based our form of government primarily on the writings of John Locke and John Stuart Mill. The basic ideas they wrote about was that we enter into civil society for protection. Many Americans believe that it is solely protection from tyrants and despots. That is the fear that is being used by those who think it is acceptable, albeit unfortunate, that Americans are being gunned down. We must start to understand that the greater need for protection that Lock, Mill and our founding fathers wrote about, was protection from each other. The other fundamental misunderstanding is about freedom. Too many Americans believe we have freedom to, rather than freedom from. Our social contract was created to give us freedom from hard, so that we could have life, liberty and pursue happiness. Does the misinterpreted freedom to bear arms trump our children’s freedom from the fear of being murdered?

We need outrage

According to Wednesday’s Chronicle, Batavia School District will have a 6 percent tax increase expectation for next year. Our houses are down 25 percent, from three to five years ago, in value. I don’t know anybody who got a 6 percent raise. We need to send to School District 101 a teabag. We need outrage. Where is all this money coming from? Our houses are worth less, and nobody is getting a raise. And yet Batavia wants to build millions of dollars in renovations to sports facilities.

Little left to give

With Obamacare, my prediction is that churches will suffer the most. They will close over a period of time. The government will now determine, to a greater degree, how we spend our money. We, as Americans, will have little left to give to a church or a charity or to a family member. The government will decide who our charity recipients are. We have less freedom to make a decision about our money. The Obama administration is slowly chipping away at any money I have saved. Anyone who voted for President Barack Obama, I would be surprised if this is what you wanted. It pays to pay attention to the political situation of our dear country. And for goodness sake, don’t trust the news on NBC, CBS or ABC. There is so much they do not report.

Adopt your dog wherever you want

I’m calling about the “Dogs need homes” and don’t buy the dogs from a puppy mill, buy them from a shelter and, the person says, do the right thing. To me, it’s kind of funny. I’m tired of paying high real estate taxes in St. Charles, when the property values have gone down. Our government, do the right thing? Why do children need iPads? Parents, do the right thing and buy them for the kids yourselves. Wherever you choose to buy a puppy or a dog, it’s up to you. Don’t let someone tell you where you should adopt your dog. Your dog is going to be with you a whole lifetime. Do the right thing.

It’s not so great

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is screaming to the audience that the Republican Party wants to close the government by unfolding Obamacare. My question to Nancy Pelosi and Dick Durbin – if Obamacare is so great, why did Congress opt out of the whole program?